Packet of cigarettes



Dec. 31', 1940.` w. H. sAul.A

I PACKET OF CIGARETTES FiledFebQ 12, 193s lNVENTOR WM H 5% BY A .Aa/25%; ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to packets of cigarettes` It is particularly directed to a dated cigarette packet provided with a moistener or humidifier and the like articles, and intended to be discarded after being used once.

An object of this invention is to provide a packetl of cigarettes marked with the date 0f packing, and having incorporated therewith means for keeping thel cigarettes fresh, the construction being such that the packet may be dis-` carded after the cigarettes have been used up, and the date being marked on the package in such manner as to safeguard against altering or changing the date after distribution of the packet from the factory.

In marketing a dated packet of cigarettes containing a moistener, it may be desirable to send back to the factory the packets unsold within a certain period from the marked date for the purpose of replacing the moistener with a new and fresh moistener, whereby the cigarettes may be kept fresh for an additional period. It is therefore a further object of this invention to provide a packet of the character described, so constructed that the moistener may be removed and replaced, the compartment containing the moistener preferably being sealed with a sticker or label bearing the date either of packing the cigarettes or of replacement of the moistener.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an economical, simple, compact and practical cigarette packet of the ycharacter described and for the purpose aforesaid.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described,

g and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claim.

, In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is an elevational, vcross-sectionaliview of a packet of cigarettes embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fie. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line lI-II of Fig, 1;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a modified construction;

(Cl. 31E-312) Fig. 6 is a partial, side elevational view 0f a packet shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional View taken on line '1 -'I of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an elevational, cross-sectional View of the lower portion of the packet embodying another form of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an elevational, transverse cross-sec- 10 tional view of a cigarette packet illustrating a still further modied construction; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the moistener.

Referring now in detail tothe drawing, I0 designates a cigarette packet embodying the inven- 15 tion. The same` comprises a wrapper II of paper or other tearable material, having flaps/folded at the bottom to form abottom wall I2 and being open at the top. `Within the wrapper II and resting on the bottom wall I2 thereof is a tubu- 20 lar member I3 made of paper or cardboard and having a bottom wall I4, a top wall I5 and side wall I6, and preferably being` open at the ends. The member It` substantially fits Within the wrapper I I, and the top wall I5 thereof is formed 25 with a plurality of perforations` I8. .Within the member I3 is a moistener or humidifier 20 for the cigarettes. The. member 20 may be in the form of a prismatic slab of concentrated rum crystals, a piece or slab of apple, a strip of ab- 30 sorbent paper or fibrous material saturated with some humidifying liquid, or `any other suitable material or substance.

Within the wrapper II and resting on the top wall I5 of the member I3 is an inner package 2| 35 of wrapped cigarettes. The same may comprise an inner completely enclosing casing or wrapper 23 containing the cigarettes 24. 'Ihe wrapper 23 may consist of nat sheets of superimposed paper and tin foil folded about the cigarettes and 40 closed at the top and bottom. When the wrapped cigarettes are inserted withinthe Wrapper I I, the top of the inner package is preferable substantially at the level of the upper edge 2B of the wrapper II. The Ausual United States 45 revenue' stamp 2l may be pasted o-ver the top wall ofthe inner package 2| and over the upper sides of the wrapper Il. The entire package may then be wrapped in a covering or enclosure v 28 of Cellophane or other transparent sheet rna- 50 terial. i

The packet may be marked with the date of packing so that the retail purchaser, buying a` package of cigarettes, may know the date of packing, and may therefore know whether he is 55 getting a fresh package of cigarettes. The dating may be made on any part of the package, either on the wrapper Il or on the Cellophane wrapper 28. The date may be marked on a sticker or label pasted to the packet inside of the outer Cellophane wrapper so that the same is not accessible withoutmd'estro-ying the outer Cellophane wrapper.

The date may furthermore be marked on a strip of paper 30 pasted to the top of the inner package 2|, and as shown on the drawing, the revenue stamp 21 may be pasted over the said strip of paper, the dating appearing on a portion of said paper extending beyond said stamp so that the date may be read throughrthe transparent outer wrapper. Since tampering with the revenue stamp is forbidden by law, the purchaser will be further safeguarded against tampering with the date on the packet. The bottom wall 34 of the inner wrapper 23 is preferably perforated as at 35 to establish communication between the compartment in .which the cigarettes are contained and the moistener or humidifier 26.

The purchaser of a packet of cigarettes l0 may use'.the .packet inthe manner of theusual packet of cigarettes, by tearing open Vthe top for withdrawing the cigarettes from the top. After the cigarettes are used up, the packet may be thrown away or discarded, It will now be understood that-the casing or wrapper must be torn or partially destroyed to remove the cigarettes and hence therecan be no refilling or reuse. If desired, the'paper and tin'foil inner wrapper may be omitted, and the cigarettes placed within the wrapper Illon the tubular member I3 and being kept fresh by the 'moistener or humidifier 2 il, and in -such event, the outer wrapper H is preferably` provided 'with folded upper end portions forming '.atop wall, whereby the cigarettes, as wellas the Vmember I3, are completely enclosed bysaid Ylast mentioned wrapper.

, It may be desirable tovmarket the packets of cigarettes in such ,a vWay'that if a packet is not sold Within a certain period'frorn the date with whichlitis'marked, the'packet may be returned tothermanufacturer and refurnished witha new moistener, forkeepingthe cigarettes moist and fresh for: an vadditional period, and the packets then redated with the date when'the fresh moistener vwaisplacedf into the packet. A packet of cigarettes'"intended` to be'marketed in suoh`manneris disclosedin'Figsj5 to'7. The packet Illa shown in said figures comprises a'box, wrapper or `casingilil 'made of paper, cardboard or any1 othersuitabletearablel material. The box 4B has side fwalls 4| Oneof the sidewalls may have a flap 1t2fcut from the Amaterial thereof and providedfwith'a tab extension 4'3, foldable on creased linefM. Withinthe box "4U 'and resting on the bottom'fwall thereof, is a'partition member da having aftoprwall'and downwardly extending side wallsfl'ifthe'bottom edges whereof contact the bottom wall ofthe'box'i. Said top wall 453 may be formed'with perforations 48. The 'cigarettes 24maybeplaced in the compartment above the partitionfd. The tab l't3 may be inserted beneath the top wall 46 as-shown in Fig. 5 of 'the drawing. Within :the compartment 49, beneath the partition-memberl is a moistener '20. A seal 5I Yof anysuitable shape may be pasted over the side Wall 4I of the box to cover the opening in said side wall formed by folding the tab '43 i inwardly beneath thetop wall of the partition.

sold within a certain period from the date of packing, the same may be returned to the factory, the seal 5| removed, the flap 42 opened, and the moistener 20 replaced by a fresh moistener. The flap 132 may then be returned to its original position, and a new seal 5i placed on the box bearing the date when the moistener was replaced.

In Fig. 8, there is shown a packet Ib of cigarettes intended to be marketed in the same way as packets Ilia. Said packet llb comprises a box or casing 55, likewise of paper or other tearable material, and having side walls 56, One of the side walls is formed with an opening 5l at the bottom end thereof. Within the box and resting on the bottom wall thereof is a partition 60 similar to the partition 45. Within the compartment G l, formed by the partition 60, is a small drawer 63 in which the moistener or humidifier 20 is placed. A seal 68 pasted on the outer surface of the box serves to close the openings 5'?. The date of packing may be marked or printed on the seal 88. if the packet is not Vsold and is returned to the factory, the seal may be removed, the drawer E3 withdrawn through the opening V5l, and a new moistener placed therein. The drawer may then be again placed into the compartment 6I and a new seal bearing the date of replacement of the moistener may then be pasted or otherwise attached to the box to cover said opening 5l.

In Fig. 10, there is shown another form of cigarette packet. The packet IBc of Fig. l0 comprises a tubular member "IB of oblong transverse crosssection. ithin` the tubular member 'Eil is .a holder 1l having a bottomwall i2, a rear wall 'i3 and a front wall 'M The frontl wallf'M terminates short of the top of the tubular member lo. Extending from the upper end of the rear wall'l is a top wall 'I6 provided with a downwardlyex tending flap l1 contacting the front surface .of the upper end of the front wall M vWithin the member 'H and resting on .thebottom wall l2 thereof is a perforated partition similar to the partition 45. 'Within the compartment 8l formed by said partition is the -rnoistener..2tl. The cigarettes 24 rest .on the topof the partition. The revenue stamp may bepastedover the top 'of the member 'H `and over the `top edges of the tubular member .'16 so that saidstampmust be destroyed to openthe fiap 'I'Lforremoving the cigarettes. .A sticker or label Orstripofnpaper 9i) bearing the date of'packing maybe pasted to the box with part thereof-.disposed.beneath the revenue stampand the dated partfthereof exposed. 'Iheentirepackagelmay be4 covered by an outer wrappeirgl Vof vCellophaneor other transparent material. The date on thelabel .90 may be seenthrough the transparentwrapper, The purchaser may remove the ,cigarettes`24 byrst removing the cellophane wrapper, then'breaking open the top of thepacketlc, 4andpushing the holder ll upwardly from thebottom. Placing of the labelbeneath the revenue stamp an additional safeguard -tofprevent-altering orreplacement of the dated label, sincethe samefcannot-be removed without destroying the revenue stamp.

It will thus be seen that there is provided va device in whichthe several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meetthe conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments mightbernade of the above invention, and vas -various changes might be made in the embodiments set. lforth,..it is to be understood that fall-matter hereinset forth or shown in the -accempanyingfdrawing is 75A to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A cigarette packet comprising a casing of tearable material and having a bottom wall and side walls, a member Within the casing having a perforated Wall disposed parallel to the bottom wall of the casing, a pair of downwardly extending walls at the side edges of said perforated wall and having lower edges engaging the bottom wall of said casing, a hurndifying member disposed between said perforated wall and the bottom wall of said casing, a portion of said casing adjacent one end of said humidifyng member being cut to form a tab, a dated paper seal pasted to said tab and easing to retain the huinidifying member within said casing, and a plurality of cigarettes mounted on said perforated wall with the lower ends of the cigarettes adjacent said perforated Wall, one end of said tab being bent into said packet beneath said perforated Wall.

WILLIAM H. SAUL. 

